Construction Engineering Education Models in Florida

ASC Proceedings of the 41st Annual Conference
University of Cincinnati - Cincinnati, Ohio
April 6 - 9, 2005


Construction Engineering Education Models in Florida

Daisy X.M. Zheng, MPhil.
Florida International University
Miami, FL

This paper introduces three current learning models for construction engineering education in Florida. The characteristics of these models are illustrated respectively. Their efficiency is presented and compared in supporting different education purposes. The author’s teaching experience under these models is also referred to facilitate the understanding about the models’ strength and weakness under changing educational environment.

Key Words: Construction Engineering, FEEDS, WebCT


Introduction

The construction industry is a major player in the nation’s economy, contributing over $470 billion to the national gross domestic product (National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 1994). The complex nature of construction industry is reflected by the intensive global competition, updated regulations and changing building codes. Therefore, construction professionals are required to become actively engaged in life-long learning process. However, most of those professionals have full-time job and family responsibility. Moreover, some of them even have to relocate frequently for work purpose during semesters. So there is a rising need for affordable and accessible distance learning models, which could help them maintaining core competencies as well as acquiring new skills.

This paper is introducing three learning models currently in practice in Florida. Objective lecture model is widely used to transfer knowledge from an expert to learners in the format of lectures (Li, 1998). Florida Engineering Education Delivery System (FEEDS) is a statewide distance learning system in Florida from 1983. FEEDS offers both synchronous and asynchronous deliveries of lectures. It also engages in collaborative efforts to secure necessary sources for life-long learning, which is delivered at a distance for engineers and technical professionals (SSOC, 2004).

Compared with the development of the first two models in 12 major universities in Florida, online learning has just got started recently by the launch of “WebCT”. WebCT is the world's leading provider of e-learning systems for higher education institutions. Its characteristics will be introduced and compared with the other two models. The author’s teaching experience under these three models will be also referred to facilitate the understanding about the models’ strength and weakness under changing educational environment.

Objective lecture model

The objective lecture model is based on Skinner’s stimulus-response theory, that is, learning is a change in the behavioral disposition of an organism which can be shaped by selective reinforcement (Jonassen, 1994). Based on this theory, the purpose of lecture model is to facilitate knowledge transfer from an expert to learners. It is a kind of learning that uncritically absorbs objective knowledge.

This model is extensively practiced for higher construction education in the format of classroom lectures. The instructor is in control of the material and learning pace. Communication between instructor and students is carried on via questions, discussion and case studies.

However, the learning efficiency under this model is quite limited because:

	It is only knowledge dissemination instead of creative thinking.
	Students don’t like to raise questions in face-to-face conversation.
	Students perform worse when they are instructed rather than being forced to explore things by themselves.
	It is inflexible to accommodate the busy schedules of engineering students and professionals with work or family responsibilities.


FEEDS is a statewide distance learning system in Florida from 1983. It provides an easy access to graduate and ABET undergraduate engineering courses/programs for individual student at anywhere and anytime.

FEEDS was established through the cooperative effort of colleges of engineering within major universities and private industries throughout Florida. Currently, the colleges of engineering in the following universities (shown in Figure 1) are in this system.

Figure 1. FEEDS Centers in Florida (Source: SSOC Annual Report, 2004)


FEEDS can deliver courses to students at work and other educational institutions through the following methods: CD-ROM, streaming video tape and web-based delivery via internet. Now viewers have live or same-day access to course video and handouts. Missed lectures for weeks are available at a time and can be archived permanently for later use.

FEEDS offers flexibility for students/professionals to manage courses with their busy schedules on work and family responsibilities. Meanwhile, it gives them an opportunity to continue their professional development in the growth of high technology industries.

In academic year 2003-2004, five hundred seventy graduate and undergraduate credit courses (shown in figure 2) were delivered to over 100 sites throughout Florida, nation and world. It represents 3.5% increase in the number of courses that were delivered in AY 2002-2003.

Figure 2. Courses Delivered Academic Year 2003-2004 (source: SSOC Annual Report, 2004)


FEEDS is very successful in promoting collaborative information sharing as a supplement to traditional lecture model. However, although FEEDS offers more flexibility in engineering education, some crucial deficiencies are still there such as:

	It is very difficult to monitor students’ learning efficiency. Students have to take take-home exams or exams at the FEEDS centers.
	Students hardly know each other. No team project or team case study is practicable.
	Instructors have no additional clue on the students’ learning progress besides homework and exams.



Constructive WebCT model

Online learning model has remained unexplored in Florida until by the launch of WebCT. WebCT is the world's leading provider of e-learning systems for higher education institution. It is the latest software at the author’s university to make, host and manage online courses.
WebCT courses are classified as online, hybrid, or web assisted, according to the level of information, interaction and contact that takes place in the online environment.

Table 1. WebCT Classifications
Online	In a fully online course, all teaching and learning activities take place online, including interaction among the instructor and students. Online courses may include a limited number of face-to-face meetings.
Hybrid	A hybrid course is a 50/50 course: In a hybrid course, the students meet face-to-face with the instructor for half of the class sessions and are working online for the remainder.
Web-Assisted	In a web-assisted course, WebCT is used to supplement or enhance the face-to-face classroom. Web-based learning activities and resources do not replace face-to-face class sessions or only replace a few sessions.


Only currently enrolled students have access to their registered courses with their student ID. After logging in, the following interface will be shown (Figure 3) from local WebCT server.

Figure 3. WebCT welcome interface


From this interface, students can interactively carry on the following activities:

Communications Tools

Discussions: make information available for a specified group

Chat: a synchronous tool between students and instructors. There are six chat rooms, of which the first four are logged (recorded) and specific topics can be assigned there for discussion.

Whiteboard: Another synchronous tool between students and instructors. The instructor can draw a diagram in the Whiteboard, and then students can modify, and ask related questions about it all in real time.

Mail: provide private communication. Students are able to send, read and search for messages.

Calendar: It is shared by the students, designer and graders across the course. Important information, such like test dates or assignment dates, can be marked in the calendar. Private entries can only be viewed by the person entering them. Public entries can be viewed by everybody in the course.

Content Tools

Content in WebCT: Navigate around the content of a course and the usage of the content-related tools such as self-test, quiz, audio and video, references, goals, glossary, take notes, search, links and equation editor.

Syllabus Tools

Syllabus: Syllabus is posted and the course progress is monitored.

Student Tools

Figure 4. Student Tool Interface

My progress: Allow students to track their movements in the course.

Homepages: Allow students to create a basic homepage with information about them. Other students and instructor can view their homepages.

Student Presentations: It is an excellent tool for knowledge sharing. The instructor can divide students into groups and assign different topics to each group. The students then have the opportunity to research the topics collaboratively and their findings can be presented in HTML pages.

Assignments: It contains the descriptions, due dates and grade allocations for assignments that students need to submit. The students can submit their assignments by uploading them using this tool.

Quiz /Survey: Self-test questions and quiz. A quiz in WebCT has grades allocated to it and can have a time limit.

CD-ROM: It is where the multimedia lecture files are stored and accessed by the students.


This online model could not only provide students unlimited times to review lecture and tutorial material that FEEDS can offer, it can also simulate lecture model with more flexibility via internet. Additionally, the instructor can watch the discussion between the students on specified topics. It will enable the instructors to control the teaching pace and keep an eye on each student’s performance. This model also offers friendly environment for group projects and group case studies. In fact, part-time students choose to take courses via WebCT when they know it is the best way to keep their full-time jobs. Additionally, even regular students turn to WebCT for course materials, quiz, assignments and etc. Instructors are no longer bothered by students’ complaints about class schedule, homework loss and etc.

Teaching experience under these three models

The author has been working as teaching assistant for construction graduate course: Construction Planning and Scheduling from fall/2003 to present. This course offers basic planning and scheduling knowledge used in construction practices. However, since most of the enrolled graduate students have full-time jobs, they can hardly catch the evening class on time and keep alert for the next three hours after a whole day’s work. Therefore the instructor decided to offer FEEDS course from fall/2003 and offer WebCT course from fall/2004.

A pilot study has recently been carried on to evaluate the effectiveness of these three models in learning efficiency in this course (shown in Table 2). It is shown, for the period from fall/2003 to fall/2004, the number of students enrolled in FEEDS course is equal to or one and a half more than the number of students enrolled in the regular lecture course. After the launch of WebCT course in fall/2004, all FEEDS students transfer to WebCT course after taking a 3 hours’ tutorial workshop. A comparison of the students’ performance under these three models indicated a significant difference in student participation: the average number of questions raised under lecture model for a three-hour lecture was about 3 in class and 5 after class, whereas the average number under FEEDS is 10 via phone or email and the number under WebCT is 25 via chat, discussion and emails. It was also found that students under WEBCT are more active at answering questions from their peers. It was also proved that in a large class (more than 30 students), students are inhibited from talking in front of others, but it is the inverse case for students under WebCT model. Final examination results indicated that students under FEEDS and WebCT had better performance than regular students. FEEDS or WebCT model may enable students to process information at their own pace, which makes their leaning more individually tailored, enjoyable and efficient.

Table 2. A pilot study of three learning models in construction planning and scheduling
Fall/2003 to Fall/2004 (4 semesters)	Average enrolled student (one semester)	Average raised questions (one lecture)	Average test grade (one semester)	Student Complaints
Lecture	12	8^*	3.4	Class schedule, teaching speed, homework loss
FEEDS	18	10^**	3.5	Class discussion & communication, team project
WebCT	30	25^***	3.55	Requirement clarification, WebCT tools
Note. - in class and after class - by phone and email **- by chat, discussion, email and phone



Conclusions

This paper presents an introduction and discussion of learning models for construction engineering education in Florida. There are three models currently in practice in Florida: (1) Objective lecture model; (2) Collaborative FEEDS model and (3) Constructive WebCT model. The discussion shows that lecture model is the most convenient one to get immediate feedback from instructors; however, the materials and learning pace are rigidly controlled by the instructors. FEEDS model offers collaborative information sharing to the students who have work/family duties. Although it helps promoting distance learning, it cannot set up efficient communication, group study and team project among students. WebCT model has all major features of FEEDS but it creates an environment more like a classroom rather than a television broadcast. The author’s teaching experience under these three models also proved that students perform much better once the learning process is individually tailored than when it is instructed.

This paper intends to provide a useful reference to the universities which are interested to develop efficient distance learning. With the fast deployment of broadband, the goal of future development is to create virtual learning spaces to link geographically dispersed students with no time constraint. It will support life-long learning for engineers and technical professionals to keep updated with technological changes.


References

Jonassen, D.H. (1994). Thinking technology: toward a constructivist design model. Education Technology, 31(6), 34-37.
Li, H. (1998). Information-technology-based tools for reengineering construction engineering education. Computer Application in Engineering Education, 6(1), 15-21.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (1994). Rationale and preliminary plan for federal research for construction and building. Report of NISTIR 5536, Subcommittee on Construction Building.

State System Operations Committee (SSOC). (2004). Annual Report of the Florida Engineering Delivery System (FEEDS) [Online report]. URL:http://feedsnet.org/Report/about.html

	Chat: a synchronous tool between students and instructors. There are six chat rooms, of which the first four are logged (recorded) and specific topics can be assigned there for discussion.
	Whiteboard: Another synchronous tool between students and instructors. The instructor can draw a diagram in the Whiteboard, and then students can modify, and ask related questions about it all in real time.
	Mail: provide private communication. Students are able to send, read and search for messages.
	Calendar: It is shared by the students, designer and graders across the course. Important information, such like test dates or assignment dates, can be marked in the calendar. Private entries can only be viewed by the person entering them. Public entries can be viewed by everybody in the course.

	My progress: Allow students to track their movements in the course.
	Homepages: Allow students to create a basic homepage with information about them. Other students and instructor can view their homepages.
	Student Presentations: It is an excellent tool for knowledge sharing. The instructor can divide students into groups and assign different topics to each group. The students then have the opportunity to research the topics collaboratively and their findings can be presented in HTML pages.
	Assignments: It contains the descriptions, due dates and grade allocations for assignments that students need to submit. The students can submit their assignments by uploading them using this tool.